Collaborarte: A Journey Through The Mask
collaborative Netart and Researchgroup

20052004

Curated by Margarita Schultz.
Participating Artists: Dulcimira Capisani and Tania Fraga of Brazil, Zerbarini Navy and Guillermo Kexel of Argentina, Andrea Zaap of Germany and Nina Czegledy of Canada.
University of Chile

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"Colaborarte", is a virtual project supported by the University of Chile and sponsored by the School of Art of the Catholic University

This project intends to search the main conceptual changes (i.e. aesthetic-philosophical) and some formal ones (creation methodologies) implied in this way of producing art. We are developing an organized specific c laboratory to test the process of this research/ creation situation. The laboratory consists in a work in progress that will be created using this methodology, so that it can take place a feed back among the involved fields: thought and action.

"Colaborarte", develops through images, texts and/or sounds, the concept of transformation from the point of view of the subject of the mask. The transformation takes place as a trip that stops by seven ‘stations’ that imply different concepts, all of them linked or associated to the process of self knowledge.

Contemplation

Silence

Dream

Fragmentation (or dismembering)

Death

Renaissence

Transformation

While entering in the virtual ambiance, in the fi rst stage of this project, the navigator will fi nd a principal mask that acts as a guide. From the eyes of this mask gives off a luminescent that invite to enter. The navigator can press over each of the eyes. The right one will transport the navigator through a light/luminous way. The left one, should transport him trough a way of shadows. By pressing, in both ways, it will be possible to display the icons, of each partner- creator, related to the matter proposed: the mask. Each one will sign the beginning of a particular way. This will take place in the following manner: each partner of the project will design his own mask (icon) and will decide if this belongs to the way of light (luminous) or shadow. Then she/he will develop the own variations of her/his mask. Each creator will decide, taking in account the given 7 concepts, the order of the sequence, the amount of stations that he’ll develop and the visual language that he’ll employ to create them, with complete freedom. Each station, corresponding to each one of the seven concepts will have links with the other ones, proposed by the partners, for the same concept (transversal navigation). The idea is that the tracks can cross over, and make different links, and that the navigator can be able to change way from each station, visualizing the variations that each artist will propose for each subject (that is, for each of the stations). To arrive from one station to the other it will be possible to press a point or sign that will be clearly present in each image. The navigation will make possible, besides, to advance, to move backwards, to change the journey, to get out. The proposal of each artist can be completely ‘original’ (that is proposed by his own) or be developed by means of an intervention on the images of the other partakers. All images can be intervened by all the partners, as a way of re-interpretation. In following stages, it will become ‘open’ to different users in the Net.

Collaboarte was presented at the 404 Festival, December 7-12, 2004, Santiago Chile, by Margarita Schulz